Morning journal and courier., 1887-12-02
A NATIONAL POLO LEAGUE,


The Prospects of one Being Organized
Certain to he ~ Success If Properly
= Managed.
w. n. Goldsmith, in the Hartford Times,
has an interesting article on the future of
polo. He says the recently proposed national
league of polo clubs bids fair to come nearer
realization than any similar league yet pro-
jected, because many of the minds which
lave been chiefly instrumental in bringing
base ball to its present high state of psrfec-
ton are beginning to engage in the sport of
polo.
ga few years ago polo was confined to
Massachusetts,; that is, professional polo as
played to-day. Later it began to create in-
terest in Connecticut, the present being the
third professional season. In New York and
New Jersey polo was played, too, but mostly
amateur, and even at the best far below the
character which prevails to-day in Connects
cut and Massachusetts,. In these latter two
States amateur polo grew into professional.
In New York and New Jersey amateur polo
| was not succeeded by superior grade of the
sport, and polo was not popular. In any of
these States amateur polo could not live.
There was lacking that essential feature of
| putting forth city's best efforts to win first
place among list of clubs in various cities.
1
base ball. Live polo leagues must have sal
aried professional players and the business
should be conducted on the same general
plan as base ball. And it is not out of
| bounds to say that teams in such leagues
| will arouse more enthusiasm and excitement
among their local supporters than even the
| national game has within the past twelve
years.
"Polo is without doubt the coming
winter amusement of all communities where
| many sport-loving people live. Its scope is as
wide as that of base ball and it must have the
benefit of the same broad, liberal manage.
| meDt as is accorded to the national game, to
ensure its permanent success.
another reason why national polo league
is quite probable. The newly organized
Metropolitan league consisting of New
York, Brooklyn, Jersey City and Newark has
interested class in polo without whose CO.
operation and executive ability a national
polo league could never succeed We see in
the election of John B. Day, the president of
| the New York base ball club, to the presi-
dency of the new polo league, a long stride
| toward popularizing the sport among metro
politan people. His name, cooperation and
active participation are power in that Sec
ton. He has peculiar tact in handling a
sport for popular support. With James
Mutrie managing the New York team, Steve
Brady the Brooklyns, Powers the Jersey Citys
and Collins the Newarks, the people of those
cities will get some of the best polo playing
to be had. The four managers know their
business in handling men. and have long
been before the public.
f'The press must be an ally of the mana
gers, for, like its influence in other sports, it
| is a positive necessity. Take, for instance,
such widely known writers on sports as
George Stackhouse, Henry Chadwick, Pete
Donohue, 0. P. Caylor and Rankin-and
everyone of them, with scores of others; are
| certain to fall in love with the spirit and
| scope of polo just as soon as it is placed up
| on professional footing. And few better
! or stronger allies could be desired for the
| Metropolitan league than the five named
above.
'sTo be sure, the Metropolitan will not
| start in with the highest priced and most
| skillful players. It began too late in the
| season for that; and, in fact, for a starter it
/ is not absolutely necessary. Let the teams
| be composed of lively players, intelligent
| and good skaters, and let the contending
| clubs be about evenly matched, and
| the interest in the sport will grow to such a
point ere the season closes that next year the
better players will be in brisk demand at high
| figures. The people there must be educated
up to the game. When the roller skating
craze was at its height polo was like a babe
| in swaddling clothes-to-day polo is in its
young manhood, 80 to speak, and strong in
its claims on people who love athletic con-
tests. And, by the way, polo to-day is as
independent of the roller skating fever as
base ball is of cricket.
''Just SO sure as the Metropolitan puts its
best foot forward every management will
rake in barrel of money. There's nothing
can prevent it. Polo, rightly played, is the
most contagious game, for excitement, ever
played. Ladies are delighted with it, and
frequently are as vehement in their applause
as their escorts
Equally certain is it that the Metropolitan
league will be most important factor in the
coming National league. 1t will, with Frank
Bancroft of the New Bedfords, be the en-
bodiment of wisdom in successful base ball
management-and which will be of incalcu
liable benefit in an organization of t.4- clubs.
A league of this size would give the people
of each league city an opportunity of seeing
nine different teams play on their own tsam's
surface, thus forming one of the greatest
possible inducements for large and steady at
tendance. In such a league Massachusetts
would have three teams, Connecticut, New
York and New Jersey each two and Pennsyl-
vania one. Every manager would take in
big money and the profits would exceed any
ever yet made in the business. Give the
public lively, scientific and hustling games of
polo and you can't keep the people away
Good luck to the Metropolitan league and
success to the projected National league"
Resigned.
Mr.. Wade II. Thompson, late secretary of
the Young Mems Republican club, has re-
signed his position as one of the board of
editors of the Young Republican. Mr..
Thompson's retirement causes much regret.